Day 3 - 214 -- Learning

I spent some time sorting through papers from past classes while planning future classes today. The easy choice would be to do things just as I did last year. No one would know -- except me. Updating presentation of topics can help keep things fresh from my perspective. Choosing to try a different learning technique may help learning to occur where it seemed to be impeded last year. That involves a lot of extra work, but, more importantly, it means acknowledging not being the stellar instructor that is a more comforting idea. <smile>  None of us is perfect. Each person learns in their own way, so what works for some doesn't work for everyone. Ensuring there are a variety of learning activities should help most involved to be able to contextualize content within their own experience -- or learn.

It is also important as an instructor to reflect on activities and interactions through the academic term. What worked? What seemed to be difficult? Why? Why did one concept seem less understood by the class even though I thought that my explanations and examples were complete? Working through such questions, can help me learn what I do that works and what I do that may create a barrier to learning. It can be humbling, but it is also exciting to learn. Course work involves being ready to learn as an instructor as well as a student. Being open to learning from students brings some unexpected findings -- a process that helps each of us understand how we learn.

Instructor and student roles changing from the traditional didactic format can bring tensions, especially when all players are not willing to take on multiple roles. Tensions between the concept of teaching -- which I see as a one-way communication format -- and learning -- which I see as a more participatory process -- can be challenging. Falling back into old routines often occurs when things don't go as expected. The title and lyric of the song selected for today came to mind while reflecting on the upcoming academic terms. Enjoy!

Tug of War -- Paul McCartney